


Only In Gotham

by Esperata



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Dadwald, Embarrassing Situations, First Kiss, Fluffy, Hand Feeding, Love Confessions, M/M, Silly, Sweet, fuzzy explanations, like answering the call of nature, memories of drowning, penguin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-25 23:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18271685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperata/pseuds/Esperata
Summary: A run-in with the magician Zatanna leaves Oswald in a predicament and Martín takes things into his own hands. Unfortunately he takes Penguin to the only person he knows he trusts.For the Nygmobblepot week free day or optional prompt: Confession





	1. Chapter 1

_Only in Gotham_ , Oswald lamented to himself as he waddled his way to hide behind his desk. In what other city would a territorial dispute lead to a crime lord being transformed into an actual feathered bird?

The worst part was, he wasn’t even really surprised.

He shook himself out and took stock of the situation. At present he was relatively safe. Apparently no one expected a flightless penguin to cause trouble. That might work to his advantage if he could think of some plan to sway things his way. Currently though it was enough that his rival and the vigilante do-gooder were no longer focused on him. Who was she anyway? He’d assumed she was auditioning as a magician act when she interrupted their meeting by striding into his office, a misconception that had given her the element of surprise.

Would she change him back if she succeeded in overpowering the other crime boss? Even if she did it wouldn’t be before he was safely behind bars. Or back in Arkham. He shivered and decided that was not an acceptable outcome.

But he was pretty certain that if she lost, his rival wouldn’t hesitate in putting him out of his misery. With some of the Rogues Oswald would be confident in their hubris enough to display him as some kind of pet, giving him an opportunity to revenge himself further down the line. This brute had no such imagination.

So he needed to find a third option.

It was then that he noticed Martín scooting towards him from the backdoor of his office. He squawked irritably in a way that he hoped conveyed his displeasure of the boy being here. Oswald had told him repeatedly to keep out of the way when Penguin had business to conduct. He would never forgive himself after all if anyone used the boy against him again. It was imperative that as few people as possible knew about his existence.

However, perhaps in this instance his disobedience could be overlooked. Oswald crouched down to peer under his desk to confirm that the fight had moved out into the wider space of his club. At least Martín had had the sense to wait until the coast was clear.

Hands grasping at him caused him to flap his wings in panic before he registered it was simply Martín gathering him up. He settled but not without an almost overwhelming sense of humiliation. Of all the indignities he’d endured, surely this was the worst. He consoled himself that at least no-one else need see him in this state.

Martín quickly scurried back through the concealed door, letting it click shut before scampering to the security of Oswald’s private rooms and setting him down.

Oswald ruffled his feathers from where Martín’s small hands had disturbed them and tried to stand with his usual dignity. Martín was drawing something and he waited to see what question the boy might have. If it was another petition for a raise in his allowance…

Martín turned the pad and Oswald moved closer to see. The figure was obviously the magician woman, complete with top hat and wand waving over a black and white penguin. Oswald looked up, not sure what Martín meant. Was he asking if it was her that changed him? He thought Martín had seen what happened. The boy had an incurable curiosity after all and generally sneaked peeks of his meetings.

Martín turned the pad round and tore off the page to sketch something else. This time when he turned it Oswald understood. The picture showed the bird again, this time with arrows pointing outwards to the outline of a human figure. Could she turn him back?

While the answer was probably ‘yes’ Oswald refused to countenance being handed back to her. He shook his head, squawked vehemently and then pecked at the image of the magician for good measure. Martín grabbed the picture away before sitting and contemplating him carefully.

Oswald wished he could speak to the boy but even if he could he didn’t know what he might suggest. He had plenty of contacts but he didn’t know anyone who dealt in transmutation. Martín however had apparently come to some decision.

The boy moved to grab his coat and then came back for him. He held still this time as he was carefully picked up and then held his breath as the bouncy journey began, Martín heading purposely for the back corridors that led out of the club.

Though he had no idea where they were going, Oswald approved of the plan to put some distance between themselves and the Iceberg Lounge. He didn’t want either of the other combatants finding him. A retreat to the safety of the mansion would be a good idea, at least buying them some time to figure out what to do next.

They got an odd glance as they stepped into the taxi but a boy with a penguin wasn’t that unusual a sight by Gotham’s standards and the driver didn’t question it. Martín held up his note with their destination and the cab set off.

Oswald found it hard to balance on the seat beside Martín and, after nearly falling into the footwell twice, he swallowed his pride and waddled across to the boy’s lap. From this new vantage point he could see the buildings outside and he nipped at Martín’s collar in alarm. They weren’t going the right direction for the mansion. He wasn’t sure he knew these streets at all.

Martín stroked his head and Oswald twisted away irritably. Didn’t the boy understand he could be in danger? What if this driver was working for someone who knew who Martín was? Knew what he meant to Oswald? They could be being driven into a trap.

Oswald squawked again as the cab drew to a stop and he once more nearly toppled off the seat. Martín meanwhile was handing money through to the driver quite blithely.

Long established instincts made him retreat across the seat as Martín turned to pick him up. He hated feeling out of control. Not knowing where they were or why they were here, he couldn’t help but struggle in Martín’s grasp. The boy held him tightly though, seemingly unbothered by his irritation, and headed purposefully into the apartment building. Oswald quieted somewhat as he realised this probably wasn’t a trap but was in fact somewhere familiar to Martín.

Although not entirely familiar if the way Martín was stopping to check signs and door numbers meant anything. Finally though he climbed to the top floor and knocked on a door. Oswald surveyed it curiously while they waited for a response. Clearly the penthouse suite of the building but there was nothing to distinguish the owner from the plain panels.

He froze as the door swung open though to reveal a very familiar smiling face.

“Martín! What are you doing here?” Edward’s intelligent brown eyes dropped and focused on Oswald. “And what are you doing with one of Oswald’s penguins?”


	2. Chapter 2

Oswald had been glaring his displeasure at the situation ever since they’d been let in and he’d been set down.

Why of all people did Martín have to bring him to the Riddler? He hadn’t known they’d even stayed in touch although their easy greeting had implied that they had. Oswald was burning to ask about that but knew he’d have to wait until one of the others thought to explain.

Right now Martín was painstakingly explaining the situation. Ed had looked over in disbelief as he was told his feathered guest was in fact _the_ Penguin but then sighed in resignation, commenting, “Yeah. Only Oswald could radiate that much anger,” before turning back to Martín.

Oswald deflated slightly. He could in fact understand Martín’s reasoning in coming to Ed. After all wasn’t he the person Oswald himself had trusted to rescue Martín from Sofia? And hadn’t he made more than one comment either directly or abstractly commenting on Ed’s genius?

He ruffled his feathers in an attempt to settle himself. They were here now and in all probability Edward was the best person to help them solve this particular problem. He really wasn’t sure who else they could possibly have asked anyhow.

“She sounds like Zatanna.” Ed’s voice brought Oswald’s attention back up to him. “I heard rumours that Bruce Wayne had hired a genuine, real magician for his big birthday bash but even in this city I didn’t believe it.”

He looked contemplatively at Oswald who shuffled awkwardly in response. Ed sighed.

“If we assume she does have some form of magic – or at least seriously advanced technology – at her disposal, which I have to admit the evidence suggests she does, then its equally likely she has the ability to reverse it.”

Oswald snapped aggressively in his direction, clearly stating what he thought of that suggestion. Martín slid off the bed and wrapped his arms protectively round him, vehemently shaking his head at Ed. Ed sighed again.

“Right. Of course. I understand she’s likely to have you arrested and put back in Arkham if she finds you but isn’t it better to be incarcerated as a human than free as a bird?” He blinked as he seemed to register exactly what he’d just said. “Although I do appreciate the popularity of that phrased situation.”

Martín held Oswald closer and rested his head against him. With no other way to convey his meaning Oswald rubbed his beak against the boy’s soft cheek. Then he stumbled as the boy straightened and grabbed his pad again. Looking up he waited until Martín turned the page to read: THEY’LL PUT ME BACK IN THE ORPHANAGE

Oswald turned his pleading gaze up to Edward. It was true. Martín had never been formerly adopted. As far as the authorities were concerned he was dead which was fine as long as Oswald was there to care for him. But left on his own? How long would it be before some concerned citizen handed him over to social services?

“I could look after you.”

The suggestion was at once entirely surprising and entirely logical. Of course Martín didn’t need _him_ specifically to look after him. He just needed somewhere to stay where he wouldn’t be noticed as abandoned. Someone who’d at least feed him. Even if Ed hadn’t offered to do that, Oswald knew Olga would take care of the boy in his absence. She was fond of him even if she did seem to think of him as a pet.

Martín was writing again and Oswald raised his head awaiting the inevitable acceptance.

BUT OSWALD'S MY PAPÁ

His beak literally dropped open. Yes, he thought of Martín as his son but they’d never discussed it. He hadn’t wanted to make the boy uncomfortable with the suggestion. The last thing he wanted was to seem to buy the child’s allegiance by insisting on a parental relationship. As long as Martín knew he cared for him that was enough.

He let out an undignified croak and Martín glanced worriedly at him. He ducked his head to his writing again before turning it just for Oswald with the additional words: AREN’T YOU?

Oswald had never wanted to hug someone so badly in his life but all he could do was waddle closer and flap his wings vaguely in his direction. Martín seemed to understand though as he reached out and scooped him into his own arms, burying his face in Oswald’s soft feathers.

A cough reminded them where they were.

“Right,” Ed interrupted, eyes averted and an embarrassed tinge to his cheeks. “No breaking up the family unit. Got it.” He rose up from his seat quickly. “I’ll have to research some alternatives. I won’t be able to do that until tomorrow though. In the meantime you better both stay here.”

Oswald freed himself from Martín’s – his _son’s_ – embrace and hopped after Ed indignantly. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was annoyed about except he knew he didn’t want to be any further indebted to Riddler than he could help.

Ed held out his hands in surrender to the small bird angrily following him.

“You can’t go back to the mansion or be seen in the Iceberg Lounge like that. The moment word gets out you’re… well, incapacitated, every crime boss in the city will be making a move.”

Oswald pecked at his ankle despite privately accepting that he was right. As usual.

“You can stay here and I’ll look into what we can do. I can even poke my head into the Lounge and hint you’re on the warpath for me or something. So they just think you’re busy elsewhere rather than…” he gestured at Oswald before suddenly correcting himself. “Although if anyone _guesses_ what’s happened to you then I think you’ll have pretty firm evidence this wasn’t an accident.”

That halted Oswald’s rather determined, and enjoyable, pursuit of Ed’s legs. He hadn’t even considered someone might have tipped off that magic girl about his meeting. Or even that she was there with the sole intention of doing something like this to him. Though to be fair he felt current circumstances forgave him somewhat for his distraction.

Edward breathed an obvious sigh of relief seeing Oswald stop his chase. Not that he couldn’t easily keep out of the way but he really didn’t want to hurt him while he was so fluffy looking. He smiled widely and clapped his hands together.

“But first things first. Who’s hungry?”


	3. Chapter 3

Edward was a good cook – Oswald had first-hand experience of this – but that was only when he was prepared. So he could forgive the man for taking the easy option and ordering take out. But that still left them with something of a problem.

Ed had deposited several cushions on the floor around the take out containers, meaning everything was on a level for Oswald to reach. While part of him objected to the vulgarity of sitting on the floor while eating a meal, he did appreciate the sentiment. What he did not appreciate were the dishes available.

Looking into the various boxes he recognised all the usual things he liked. His heart fluttered a little to think that Ed had remembered them from those days shared together what seemed like so long ago. The problem was that nothing actually appealed to him _now_.

He pecked half-heartedly at the rice box before shifting backwards and resigning himself to watching the others eat. However both Ed and Martín immediately noticed his reluctance.

“What’s wrong?” Ed frowned. “If this is because you can’t use proper utensils-” He broke off as Martín tugged on his sleeve and glanced to the boy. Who held up a very recognisable picture of a fish.

“Oh!” Ed looked between the drawing and Oswald. “I should have thought of that. I’m guessing your body needs a different diet now huh?”

He unfolded his long limbs and rose deceptively gracefully from the floor. Oswald couldn’t help but watch as he strode into his kitchen and rummaged in a cupboard. Moments later he returned with a triumphant smile and set a tin down before Oswald.

“Ta da!” He pulled open the lid to reveal tuna in sunflower oil.

Oswald looked from the glistening flakes up to Edward with what he hoped was a look of utter disdain.

“What? Its perfectly good food.” As if to prove his point Ed reached in and snagged up a pinch to eat himself.

Oswald slumped again in defeat. Beggars could not be choosers and it was likely to be the best on offer. Awkwardly he tried to bend down so he could dip his beak into the shallow tin only to overbalance and fall with a panicked cry.

Immediately large hands wrapped long fingers round him and he was set upright.

“Alright. Let’s try this a different way.” Oswald watched wide eyed as Ed again reached in to pick out a portion of tuna. He then held it expectantly in front of Oswald. For a brief moment Oswald froze, looking between Ed’s calm face and the tempting food. Was he really about to let Ed hand feed him?

His stomach growling answered the question for him and he reached forward quickly to grab the offering. Too quickly as it turned out. He didn’t yet have a measure of how long his beak was, nor how tightly he could bite.

“Oww!” Edward yanked his hand back, dropping the fish pieces onto the floor as he examined his sore finger.

Oswald felt mortified. He hadn’t meant to hurt Ed, not after everything the man was doing for them. The thought that he might think this was deliberate – that Oswald didn’t appreciate his help – made him want to wring his hands in despair. Being unable to do that he decided on a show of contrition instead.

Cautiously he waddled closer before flopping down deliberately to lay his belly on Edward’s thigh. He peered up as apologetically as he could and hoped Ed understood.

A moment passed as Ed stared down in disbelief before a new smile graced his face. He awkwardly stroked a hand across Oswald’s back.

“Its alright. Apology accepted.”

They were both distracted as Martín stood up and held his pad in front of Edward. He’d added some detail to his earlier picture to indicate a container and drawn in a few additional fish inside.

“Sardines! Of course. I think there’s some in the cupboard second along from the sink.”

Oswald began to try and right himself only to find himself rolling down the incline of Edward’s leg. With a chuckle the tall man caught him again and gently put him back on his feet. The soft smile Ed was directing at him made him feel flustered and he was very glad of the thought that even if he did blush it would at least be hidden by feathers.

Martín arrived back on his other side and dropped down onto his knees. He’d found a tin of sardines and now proceeded to hold one up for him. Oswald couldn’t help but remember the day he’d taken Martín to feed penguins at the zoo. The boy had loved it and begged to go again. Oswald had hated to refuse but it was just too dangerous given his position and the boy’s vulnerability if people saw them together. At least now he could fulfil the boy’s wish though.

He stretched up and let Martín drop the fish down. Swallowing it whole felt at once natural and also incredibly weird. His brain was telling him to chew – that he’d choke if he didn’t – but his body paid no attention and reacted as any penguin would to seafood. Martín smiled brightly and grabbed another sardine.

Edward picked up his own carton of food and ate quietly as he watched them both. Oswald wondered what he thought of the scene but it was impossible to guess. As Martín reached halfway through the tin though he sat forward again.

“You should eat before your food gets cold,” he offered. “I can finish feeding Oswald.”

There was a hesitation before Martín moved back onto the cushions and grabbed his own food. Oswald turned awkwardly and looked up at Edward. Being fed by Martín had no connotations. Being fed by Ed however… that could be interpreted any number of ways. He waited to see how Edward would approach this.

Somewhat to his relief, Ed approached it in much the same way Martín had. He didn’t attempt to manoeuvre Oswald at all. He didn’t raise or lower the fish in a teasing manner. There were no jokes or commentary. He simply held up a fish, waited for Oswald to position himself correctly and dropped it in.

It was nice and Oswald was quite sorry when it was over, even if he was a bit fuller than he’d really like.

Edward was looking at him again with that inscrutable gaze and Oswald couldn’t help but worry what it meant. They were putting a lot of faith in Edward and it would be only too easy for him to betray them in their vulnerability. It wouldn’t be the first time either.

Ed suddenly turned to Martín again with a grin.

“Ice cream?”


	4. Chapter 4

Oswald had thought he could sink no lower. That his indignities had reached rock bottom with having to turn up at his lost love’s door as a _penguin_ and suffer the torment of being hand fed. But that had been before he’d felt the call of nature.

Everything had actually been going quite well after those initial humiliations. Ed and Martín had indulged in dessert before clearing everything away and settling themselves in front of the computer screen. Oswald had expected some puzzle game, that Ed would deride, or else cartoons for Martín yet he was surprised.

Edward had input an address and loaded up a sign language course.

“This will be a lot easier without having to deal with the dodgy skype connection.”

Apparently this was what he and Martín had been corresponding over and Oswald felt a flicker of loneliness. Of course Martín had asked Oswald to join him learning the hand signals but he’d been too busy. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to – of course he had – but he knew it would be a commitment of time that he never seemingly had.

He should be glad that Edward was helping him learn, he knew, but he couldn’t help but feel he’d let his boy down. So he settled down out of the way and allowed himself to sink into self pity. Which grew steadily worse as he realised the pressure in his bladder was being joined by a tension further down as well.

He shifted uncomfortably and wondered what options he had. He could hardly simply use the bathroom himself. And there was no way he would stand for being assisted in this. No, the best option realistically was to go back downstairs and use the great outdoors, no matter how distasteful he found that solution.

With as much confidence as he could muster he approached Ed’s leg and gave a sharp tug on the pant fabric. Ed peered down.

“What’s the matter? Want to come up and see what we’re doing?”

Ed reached down and Oswald scuttled backwards out of reach. Now he had Ed’s attention he made his way as quickly as he could towards the door and pecked at it.

“You want to go out?” Ed frowned. “Oswald, you can’t go out. Not looking like that.”

Oswald huffed in annoyance. For a genius Ed could be incredibly stupid sometimes. Fortunately Martín had been watching and now intervened, tugging on Ed’s sleeve. Oswald felt a swell of pride as he saw Martín use sign language to convey his message to Ed. He was raising a clever boy.

That happy bubble burst as Ed turned back to him with a flustered exclamation.

“Oh! You need to use the… facilities?”

Oswald turned back to peck on the door again both to convey his answer and to avoid having to look at Ed.

“Well the bathroom’s just over here.”

He turned back in disbelief. Edward couldn’t seriously expect him to…

“I’ll put down some newspaper. It’ll be fine.”

There was a definite flush under his feathers now and he turned to scrape at the door with renewed determination. Unfortunately he didn’t hear the approaching footsteps over the noise he was making and by then it was too late. Those incredibly flexible long fingers wrapped around him and heaved him up into the air.

He squawked and twisted and even tried to bite at him but Ed held firm.

“Oswald! Stop being so stubborn. It’s not like I haven’t cleaned up after you before. Or have you forgotten staying in my apartment the first time?”

He froze in horror at the reminder. Yes, Ed had supported him when he was too weak to crawl to the bathroom on his own and yes, there’d been the instance when the plumbing let them down but to be reminded of it now!

The distraction gave Ed the advantage he needed and he managed to drop Oswald down on the far side of the bathroom before making his own quick retreat. Oswald followed after him as fast as his awkward feet would let him but it was no good and he was trapped.

After scratching at the door once or twice he suddenly felt the result of all that struggling and glanced round hurriedly. Somehow, a newspaper had been laid out and Oswald realised Martín must have snuck in while Ed was catching him. Deciding it was the lesser of two evils now, he darted across to it and gave in.

The sheer relief following was quickly swamped by utter and complete humiliation.

He was the King of Gotham! The undisputed crime lord. And now he was standing beside a newspaper dirtied by his own bodily functions. He couldn’t bear to return to the door. Perhaps if he held still and closed his eyes all of this would turn out to be just a particularly vivid, deeply unpleasant bad dream.

“Oswald?” The sound of the familiar voice made him open his eyes. “Are you okay in there?”

He didn’t move. How could he answer that after all? Even if he could still speak, he patently wasn’t okay. The door opened carefully and the familiar face looked in. Oswald wanted to hide but there was nowhere for him to go.

Ed stepped in and closed the door before approaching and kneeling down in front of him.

“Feel better?”

All Oswald could do was hang his head in shame.

“Its okay.” Edward reached out and pet his head gently. “You can’t help your body doing what bodies do. When I worked at the GCPD you wouldn’t believe what some of the corpses would do. You see, all the muscle functions relax after death so they’d frequently relieve themselves in the morgue. Its just something that happens. You get used to it. I’m honestly not bothered by it anymore.”

Oswald raised his head, calmed by both the soothing words and the soft caresses. Ed smiled at him.

“Now, why don’t you go back out to Martín while I sort this out?”

Oswald was just about to escape past him when he hesitated. He looked back at Ed, who was still watching him with that familiar smile, and then pushed his head back against his hand. To his relief, Ed didn’t hesitate before running his fingers over his feathers again.

“You’re welcome Ozzie.”


	5. Chapter 5

Edward had insisted Martín and Oswald take the bed. Oswald had not expected to be able to sleep given everything that had happened but there were two factors he had not taken into account. Firstly, the reassurance of watching Martín sleeping safely and secondly, the comfort of being surrounded by the scent of Edward.

When he did eventually awake he wasn’t surprised to find Martín already up and Ed already out. Oswald was not by nature an early riser and apparently being transformed into a penguin had no effect on his circadian rhythm. It felt disturbing to be up and about without any of his usual morning ritual but he was not about to start preening.

As soon as Martín realised he was awake he quickly brought the laptop across to the bed and gestured enquiringly at the website already onscreen.

Oswald looked and recognised the site from the previous night. If he could have smiled he would have but as it was he simply nodded enthusiastically. Martín immediately shifted up beside him and started clicking back to find the first chapter. Oswald hesitated briefly before nudging him emphatically. When the boy looked over at him again he did his best to convey what he wanted, dipping his beak forward then tilting his head back with a swallow. Martín quickly sketched on his pad and turned it to show a glass with a question mark and Oswald nodded.

Martín slid off the bed and turned to help him down before heading into the kitchen. Oswald followed and hoped the boy realised he would not be able to drink from a glass. He needn’t have worried. Martín not only found him a deep bowl but also made a tower of books so it was at a suitable height for him.

Once his thirst was slaked Oswald realised he’d need to visit the bathroom and made his way there with as little fuss as possible. Thankfully, Martín didn’t seem bothered and Edward had already had the forethought to lay out fresh paper. Relieved to have achieved these minor chores, Oswald returned to the bed.

Martín quickly settled them both and started playing the educational lessons. Although Oswald couldn’t emulate the gestures he paid keen attention and dutifully watched Martín repeat them. If the boy made an obvious error then he’d jab the offending part and wait for the boy to try again.

They took a break for lunch when Martín got hungry and managed to find a way for Oswald to eat the tuna left over from the night before by spoon feeding him. If Ed had been there he’d rather have starved but he could see the pleasure it brought Martín to find the solution so he went along with it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in front of the computer. Martín played the sign language course until they apparently reached where he and Ed were and then he switched to cartoons. Oswald considered arguing – as best he could in his current form – but decided the boy had earned the break.

When Edward returned carrying two takeaway pizza boxes and a shopping bag, he found both boy and penguin comfortably cuddled together and stopped a moment to take in the scene. However as soon as Oswald saw him he freed himself and staggered quickly forward. Ed hurried across before he toppled himself to the floor from the uneven surface.

“So,” he began excitedly, knowing Oswald would want to hear at once. “Cat told me that Ivy once got hold of this chemical from Wayne enterprises. Called Lazarus water. Apparently it enhanced plant growth but _also_ had the ability to restore previously damaged tissue back to healthy condition.” He paused as he awaited an appreciative response only to remember his audience consisted of a mute boy and a penguin, one of whom was glancing more at the food boxes than him.

Resisting the urge to huff he continued. “Now its not certain but given the fact this stuff restructured cross bred DNA back to pure breed there’s a good chance it could return Oswald to normal.” He hesitated again. Hearing his own voice was all well and good but some response would be nice. “And even if it doesn’t work as hoped there seems no chance of it actually doing any harm.”

Oswald flapped his wings indecisively. He wasn’t sure what he’d been hoping for but some vague rumour of a mystical healing water hadn’t been it. He looked to Martín, who had now pulled the top box towards him and was investigating its contents, and tried not to be irritated the boy wasn’t paying closer attention.

“She says she can get me a vial of the stuff.”

Edward’s voice drew Oswald’s attention back and he looked helplessly up at him. If Edward thought this would work then Oswald would trust him of course. But what if it didn’t? He didn’t want to be stuck a penguin forever.

He flapped his wings again and Edward automatically reached out to stroke his head.

“If it doesn’t work I’m sure we’ll find something else.”

Oswald soaked up the comforting tone and warmth from the fingers against his head.

“Right now we should eat though.” Ed drew his hand away and picked up the bag he’d brought. “I got something special for you.”

Oswald moved up to Ed’s other side and looked across to see what was coming out of the bag. He set a small tub in his lap and prised off the lid.

“I hope you like squid.”

Oswald immediately and obediently opened his beak wide and Ed smiled as he dropped the first squid in.

“I see you do. I’ll have to remember that.”

Oswald hoped he wouldn’t in fact remember anything about this but right now he was content enough to let the man feed him. It was practical, that was all. Nothing Oswald should be relishing in. All too soon though the tub was empty and their intimate moment was over.

Except instead of turning immediately to his own food, Ed reached out several fingers and tickled under Oswald’s chin.

“You always were my favourite feathered friend.”


	6. Chapter 6

Martín finished his meal much quicker than Ed and immediately headed over to where the Riddler stored his collection of video games. Seeing Oswald had also eaten, the boy didn’t hesitate in carrying him with him.

A part of Oswald was happy that Martín wanted to share his chosen activity with him but he’d be lying if he wasn’t also disappointed at being moved away from Ed. There was a definite freedom in having a bird form. No-one seemed to notice you staring at them so much. Once Martín was settled playing though Oswald found it less interesting. He had no idea what the aim of the game was or whether the boy was doing well or not.

Edward was now clearing up in the kitchen and Oswald realised with a guilty start that neither he nor Martín had done anything useful in that regard during the day. Naturally no-one could expect a penguin to do the washing up but he still felt it reflected badly on him that Martín had not thought to do it either. The perils of having domestic staff wait on you.

Still, the fact the others were distracted gave Oswald another opportunity to visit the bathroom without too much embarrassment. He was securely back and watching Martín’s progress before Ed moved in there to continue his cleaning. He kept his focus solely on the screen in order to avoid even thinking about Edward having to clear up after him and was actually startled when the man suddenly leant down beside him.

“Oswald.” The smile on his face did funny things to Oswald’s stomach. “I have a treat for you. Come on.”

The man stood up and headed away across to the bathroom. Oswald cast a glance back to Martín but he was lost in his fantasy world. Curious about what Ed had for him, he stumbled his way as quickly as he could into the other room.

As he cast his gaze around, he couldn’t see anything different. There was fresh paper down but he doubted Ed had called him here to show him that. From his low vantage point though it would be easy to miss something higher up. He therefore turned his expectant gaze up to where Ed was sitting on the side of the bathtub.

Edward was smiling with almost childish delight.

“I know how… difficult, the past couple of days must have been for you. And I was wracking my brains to think of something that might make you feel better.”

Oswald felt a pleasant flush at the thought Ed wanted to do something nice for him and took another step closer.

“And then it struck me. The perfect way to cheer you up. Something I know you’ve always liked and which even as a penguin you’ll still enjoy. A bath!”

Oswald froze momentarily and in that instant Ed swooped down and scooped him up. Seconds later he felt himself deposited into warm fragrant water and several instincts in his brain suddenly collided.

An inherent response to his body hitting the water was to try to swim. Although something in his newly acquired penguin responses felt fear at the unexpected heat. And his olfactory senses were overwhelmed by the aroma of lavender to a confusing degree.

His human half recognised the situation but couldn’t reconcile the sensations to the expectation. A bath shouldn’t leave him out of his depth. It shouldn’t require him to swim. And the sensation of water lapping over his face, the pull of unknown depths beneath him, brought back a surge of unwelcome memories.

In short, he panicked.

He flailed towards the edge and tried to haul himself up but there was no grip to be had on the smooth wet surface. The uncoordinated floundering meant he bobbed back down into the water and the water rising up his sides caused him to thrash even harder. It took him a second to recognise he was hitting at something other than the water or the bathtub and a further instant to understand Ed was trying to catch him.

He forced himself to go still and was rewarded by firm hands clutching at him and lifting him up away from the water. There was a warm weight wrapped around him and he found himself hugged into a sturdy torso. Oswald didn’t hesitate to bury his head against the chest in front of him, letting the strong rise and fall regulate his own breathing.

“I am _so_ sorry Oswald.” Tender hands rubbed up and down the towel over his back. “I really thought you’d enjoy it.”

Oswald pressed himself closer in, unable to respond and not knowing how he could explain it even if he could. The sensation of being held like this was nice though. Ed remained quiet as he gently helped dry him, taking care to keep him close and safe on his lap.

Eventually they were interrupted by Martín appearing in the doorway. The boy glanced at them before holding up his pad: IS EVERYTHING OK?

“Yeah.” Ed glanced over to him, Oswald still fairly cocooned on his lap. “Just tried to give Oswald a bath. Not my best idea.”

He lifted Oswald back to the ground and turned to restore the bathroom to normal. Martín glanced at Oswald, then up at Ed’s back, before gesturing Oswald to follow him. Oswald couldn’t help but glance back longingly at Ed but the man was busy draining the bath and drying up the water splashed over the sides. With a reminder to himself not to get too lost in their current closeness, Oswald headed back out after Martín.

The boy had crossed over to the small piano tucked almost hidden behind the door. He waited for Oswald to get to him then pulled the penguin up to sit on the stool next to him. To Oswald’s knowledge, Martín had no knowledge of playing music. If he had thought it was one of his skills he’d have certainly bought the boy an instrument of his own.

However Martín simply pressed his fingers along the keys in sequence, slowly up the notes, then back down. Oswald attempted to press a couple of notes himself but his beak didn’t have the right grip and simply slid up the ivory.

“Would you like to play something?” Ed’s voice interrupted from right behind them. Both boy and penguin turned and nodded simultaneously.

Ed smiled, reached to pick up Oswald again and sat next to Martín himself with the penguin snug on his lap once more.

“Okay Martín. You play these four notes.” Ed reached down and slowly tapped twice on each necessary note. “And just keep playing those over and over again. Alright?”

Martín nodded and dutifully copied where Ed’s fingers had gone. After a few runs through, when he was hitting them more smoothly, Ed began to play a separate set of notes higher up. Martín grinned widely as the tune emerged between them. As soon as Ed finished his phrase Martín grabbed up his notebook: CAN YOU TEACH ME?

“Sure can.”

Martín shifted closer and Ed helped guide his fingers. Oswald snuggled closer into the warmth between his two favourite people and felt his eyes drift shut to the gentle melody.


	7. Chapter 7

“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes I’d never have believed it.”

Oswald started awake at the voice far too loud and far too close and instinctively tried to reach for a weapon only to find himself rolling off the bed. He struggled to right himself with clumsy flippers and determined to kill whomsoever had witnessed this moment of humiliation.

Turning awkwardly he saw Cat grinning down at him. Further behind her and approaching from the kitchen area was Martín, clearly surprised to see her and – if Oswald wasn’t very much mistaken – preparing to defend him from the intruder. Until Ed stumbled out of the bathroom, wet all over and clutching a towel round his waist.

“Street trash girl! Could you not knock for once in your life?”

Martín hesitated as he registered Edward knew their visitor and Cat turned her grin onto the flustered Riddler. Oswald himself was also somewhat distracted by the sight and momentarily forgot his blazing annoyance.

“Doors are boring,” she answered, apparently unconcerned herself by the half naked man in the room. “And besides, I wanted to see Ozzie myself. Thought you might hide him.” She turned back and flopped onto the bed to get a closer look. “Aww. Isn’t he adorable?”

She reached out to boop him on the beak and his original anger flared back up. He tried to bite her fingers but she was too quick, only giggling in response.

“I gotta get a picture,” she commented, reaching in her jacket for her phone.

“No!” Edward darted forward, nearly losing his grip on the towel in the process. Oswald made a dash for the relative safety of Martín.

“Oh come on!” Cat objected. “He’s so cute! Don’t tell me you haven’t snapped a few shots?”

Both Oswald and Martín turned identical disapproving glares onto Ed.

“What? No! Of course I haven’t.”

“Well I’m gonna.” She held up her phone and Oswald hid again.

“Cat!” Ed admonished as sternly as he could. “If you take that photo then you have to realise Penguin will track you down and make sure you can never share it – by any means at his disposal.”

Cat lowered the phone and looked disbelievingly at him.

“Firstly, that would sound a lot more threatening if he didn’t look so damn cuddly right now. And secondly, who’d believe me if I showed them? It’d just look like any other of his birds.”

Ed faltered as he realised she had a valid point there and Cat turned her friendly smile onto Martín.

“What about you kid? Wouldn’t you like a picture cuddled up to a real live penguin?”

Oswald’s heart plummeted as he saw Martín’s expression falter. He knew how much the boy loved his penguins in the lounge although he only got to see them when the place was empty. And they weren’t the sort of animals one could hug.

With a sense of defeat, Oswald moved back in front of Martín and glanced up resignedly. Martín smiled brightly as he understood what was being offered and knelt down to gently wrap his arms around Oswald.

Oswald looked back to Cat and gave a vague nod of acceptance. She quickly angled her phone and there was a brief click as it snapped the shot.

“Sweet. I’ll send it to you if you like. You got your phone about? I’ll put my number in for you.”

As Martín fetched his phone and sat with Cat exchanging numbers, Ed disappeared back into the bathroom. Oswald flapped his wings irritably. Was no-one going to ask her if she had the serum?

He glanced where Ed had vanished, half wondering if he could be excused following before deciding that was a flimsy pretext to catch another peek. Instead he determinedly waddled across to where Cat and Martín were sat on the bed sharing phone details. After a few seconds being ignored, he vented some of his frustration by giving her a noticeable bite to the shin.

“Hey! Not cool.” She looked down in annoyance only to meet a whole new level of annoyance being directed up at her. She gave in with a sigh. “Yeah, I got it.”

He watched eagerly as she pulled out a thin tube but then blinked in alarm at the almost luminous green liquid. It put him in mind of nothing so much as toxic waste and living in Gotham meant he knew better than most what side effects _that_ could have. She waved it teasingly over his head and he considered whether he wasn’t better retreating.

“Is that it?” Ed’s voice rang out excitedly. “You got it?”

“Yeah.” She looked up and tossed it from hand to hand. “You got my payment?”

He pursed his lips in faint irritation but obligingly headed across to his desk where he apparently kept sufficient spare cash. Oswald watched the transaction from his awkward vantage point and tried to gauge the amounts transferred by her swift check.

“Looks good,” she commented, handing the vial to Ed. “Nice doing business with ya.”

She gave a vague wave and sauntered back to the window.

“Keep in touch kid,” she offered to Martín before disappearing back into the metropolis.

Oswald turned his gaze back to Ed who was holding the liquid up to the light.

“Fascinating. I wonder what exactly its made of?”

A shudder ran down Oswald’s spine as the horrible thought struck him that Ed might not have made the deal in order to help him. Perhaps he had some other motive for wanting this Lazarus water. Maybe he was even working with the magician who did this to him.

His paranoia was briskly interrupted by Ed snapping his attention back onto the room.

“Guess we’ll never know though.” He walked closer. “Alright Oswald. Time to see if this does the trick.”

Oswald couldn’t help but back away from the towering figure bearing that vivid drug towards him until his back hit the bed. Ed knelt down and tilted his head sympathetically.

“Its okay. This won’t harm you, I swear.”

And Oswald couldn’t argue with that. He trusted Ed, despite everything. So cautiously he took a step closer and with no small degree of reluctance opened his beak.

He kept his eyes fixed on Ed’s while the bitter liquid was poured into his mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

Oswald woke up with _the_ worst hangover he’d ever experienced.

His eyes felt glued shut and his mouth was dry as the Sahara. It took a prodigious effort of will to force his eyelids up and another herculean effort to hold them open against the unnatural glare that seemed aimed at him. Finally he managed to focus on the blur next to him enough to recognise Martín’s anxious face.

“Martín,” he croaked. “I had the most awful dream. You won’t-” He stopped suddenly as he registered the fact that he was not in his bedroom. Blinking stupidly he tried to reconcile the sight meeting him with any rational explanation.

He was not in the mansion, nor at the club, but the obvious answer of where he actually was meant…

Blinking again he found himself staring up beyond Martín to an all too familiar smiling face.

“Did you by any chance dream that you were transformed into a penguin? A Humboldt penguin to be precise.”

Oswald looked from Ed’s ridiculously pleased expression to Martín again. The boy immediately threw his arms about him. A gesture which Oswald couldn’t help but return.

“God. It was real then?”

“Yup. ‘Fraid so. But you’re back to normal now.”

Oswald soaked in the comforting warmth of the embrace but couldn’t stop another realisation sinking in. He was currently tucked up in bed but he was becoming uncomfortably aware that under the covers he was not wearing anything. A blush stole its way across his cheeks as he carefully extricated himself from the hug.

“Umm. I don’t suppose you have anything I could wear do you?”

“Oh! Of course. Absolutely. Wait right there.”

As Edward hurried away, Oswald dropped back against the pillows and let his eyes shut with a sigh. There were a lot of emotions he needed to process right now. The fact Ed must have seen him naked before putting him to bed galled him. It was bad enough the other man didn’t return his affections, the last thing Oswald wanted was to add disgust to Ed’s limited feelings for him.

A hand on his shoulder made him open his eyes to look curiously at Martín.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

“Honestly? Like I’ve been through a bad case of flu. But I guess I can’t complain if I’m human again.”

Martín smiled obviously relieved. Moments later Edward returned with a pile of clothes.

“I don’t really have much that will fit you but this should serve until you get home.”

A new pit opened in Oswald’s stomach. Home. Of course. He fixed his attention on looking through what Ed had found for him as his mind worked through the new emotions.

He loved the Van Dahl Mansion. It was everything he’d dreamt of as a kid. And he loved his private rooms in the Iceberg Lounge too. But neither of those had the one thing he really wanted. The one thing that was only to be found here in this cheap apartment – Ed. Going home, albeit with his empire and Martín, would mean leaving the temporary fantasy he’d almost managed to enjoy the last few days.

He coughed briskly.

“If you two don’t mind?” he hinted. He thought he saw an embarrassed flush on Ed’s face before he led Marin away to give Oswald privacy and his stomach twisted again. Just the thought of seeing him naked again was enough to discomfort the man. The act of dressing helped steel Oswald though. Even if it wasn’t his familiar armour of carefully tailored suits it was still a shield against the world and gave him a degree of confidence back.

He would thank Edward politely for his help and then leave as soon as possible with the assurance the man need not be troubled again. So resolved he nodded to himself and looked around for a mirror. Naturally enough Ed didn’t have one out here and Oswald remembered the man’s somewhat troubled relationship with his reflections. No mind. Ed had seen him looking decidedly worse than wearing too narrow pants, too long sweater, and unruly fluffy hair. And it wasn’t as if it would even be worth trying to make a good impression.

“Its safe to come back,” he called out.

The other pair turned and Martín immediately hurried back over. Ed however hung back, his eyes lingering on Oswald though whether seeking some form of permission to approach or hoping to be excused altogether, Oswald wasn’t sure. He anxiously ran his hand through his hair in a forlorn attempt to style it before remembering why the gesture was doubly hopeless.

“I owe you a favour for all this,” he offered instead. “You have my sincere gratitude but we’ll get out of your hair as soon as-”

He was distracted by Martín scribbling something and holding his pad up for Ed to read.

YOU SHOULD COME TO DINNER

Ed stepped closer to read it even as Oswald flushed in embarrassment.

“You don’t-” he began before being interrupted by Ed’s beaming face.

“I’d love to.”

“You… would?”

Ed’s smile faltered as he focused on Oswald.

“If you don’t mind?”

“Of course not! It’s the very least we can do to repay you for cooking for us these last few days.”

“I didn’t exactly cook.”

“Oh.” Oswald stumbled over himself, not sure what Ed was getting at. “Well I could pay you back for the food if you’d prefer?”

“No. You don’t have to do that. It was a pleasure to have company.” He smiled again and once more Oswald found himself floundering.

“The company was nice for us too. And if you want to have dinner with us again, now I’m human too, we’d be happy to host you.”

“I would. Thank you.”

“Good.” Oswald looked at Ed awkwardly, not sure if it would be appropriate to hug him or more uncomfortable to shake hands. Martín had no such reservations and wrapped his arms round Ed’s middle, leaving Ed to pat gently on his back.

“Its been nice to spend some time with you,” he looked down at the boy’s curly hair. “And I’ll see you again later right?” He glanced up at Oswald. “Seven o’clock okay?”

“That’s fine.” Oswald nodded and put his own hand on Martín’s shoulder to draw him away. “We better go. There’s a lot to do. Checking the club, finding out what happened the other night, instructing Olga for this evening.” He stopped as he heard himself babbling.

Edward was still smiling at him.

“Until this evening then Oswald.”


	9. Chapter 9

Oswald took a deep calming breath. Nothing was going to go wrong. Everything would be fine and the evening concluded without incident so long as he remained composed.

Easier said than done.

After leaving Ed’s apartment that morning they’d gone straight back to the mansion so Oswald could change and give Olga her instructions. He’d then left Martín so he could show his face in the Iceberg Lounge and start enquiries into just who this Zatanna was and what she was doing in Gotham. Ordinarily he’d have stayed there to crack the whip on his men but in truth he was far too distracted by the prospect of dinner with Ed.

So he’d shouted at his men and then stormed out, hoping no-one would notice his anxiety beneath his veneer of anger, at least reassured nobody knew the truth about what had happened to him.

He’d expected to find the afternoon dragging by, watching the clock until 7 pm rolled around, but in truth he found himself fluttering about too restless for that.

The first thing he did was pick out a more stylish suit and change. He then went to make sure Martín would be wearing something appropriate. After spending half an hour looking through the boy’s choices he eventually realised he was probably over reacting and left him to make his own decision.

This was partly because he suddenly decided he needed to do something better with his hair. Although he’d refeathered it across his forehead before going to the club it now looked altogether too drab. And after Ed had seen him literally feathered Oswald realised he wanted to emphasise something different.

So decided, he took another shower and set about dying purple streaks into it before tufting it up. As he looked himself over afterwards he realised that his original choice of suit didn’t really go with the new colouration and delved back into his wardrobe. Forty minutes later he had a new suit on and went to check on the other preparations.

Olga was less than impressed with him hovering by her elbow as she cooked and she quickly shooed him away. He found himself moving knick knacks about the dining room when the phone rang.

He stumbled across, heart pounding as he realised Ed was probably ringing to cancel, and it took him a minute to register the call wasn’t even from him.

It seemed the magician woman hadn’t been particularly interested in Penguin’s activities. She was looking after Bruce Wayne’s interests as far as could be determined and her appearance at the Iceberg had been following a lead in that regard. She had now reportedly left town for wherever it was she’d originally come from. Oswald felt a mixture of relief and annoyance at the news. It was one less thing to worry about but also a missed opportunity to exact revenge.

Although at least this way no-one need ever know about his accident so perhaps it was for the best. With a start he realised he was biting at his nails and he exhaled in disappointment as he saw the chipped paint. Glancing quickly at the clock he headed back upstairs to reapply the polish. He looked in on Martín who was happily reading before moving on to his bedroom.

Once his nails were painted again to his satisfaction Oswald found himself at another loose end. It was too early to sit and wait for Ed. He’d only end up biting his nails again or irritating Olga. He got up and paced in front of his ornate mirror reminding himself that there was no reason to be anxious. It was simply dinner. Repaying a favour. Nothing more.

He frowned at his reflection and decided his outfit was too flamboyant. He didn’t want Ed to think he was trying to impress him. That would only embarrass the man. Perhaps he shouldn’t have coloured his hair after all either, but it was far too late to do anything about that. So determined he once again dived into his wardrobe and tried to find something that flattered him without looking like he was going out of his way to look nice.

The doorbell startled him out of his hunt and he looked with alarm to the clock. It was only just half past six. Surely Ed couldn’t be here yet? He was always exactly on time!

Oswald heard the sound of Martín rushing down the stairs, followed by the unmistakeable sound of Edward greeting him, and let out an undignified whimper. Hobbling swiftly back to his bed he hastily started pulling on the suit he’d only recently removed. He nearly dropped the cufflinks in his haste but finally managed to pull himself together.

Taking only a swift glance into his mirror to assure himself nothing was inside out or back to front, he seized his cane and set off to greet his guest.

Edward was still in the entrance hallway signing with Martín as Oswald started his cautious decent. Then Ed looked up at him and he faltered. The man looked devilishly handsome in his Riddler suit but what truly took Oswald’s breath away was the expression on his face. He looked awed by the sight of him.

“You look breath taking.”

Oswald couldn’t stop the blush overtaking his face and his eyes looked anywhere but at Ed. He wasn’t sure Ed had meant to say that and it was only a second before the man turned away, Oswald presumed to speak again to Martín. Oswald tried to regain his composure as he managed to conclude his downward journey.

Once at the bottom though, as he risked raising his eyes back to Ed with the full intention of thanking him for the compliment, he was rendered speechless once again. Edward had picked up a bouquet of lilies and box of chocolates which he was holding out expectantly.

“For you. To thank you. For hosting.”

Oswald blushed again and cursed his fair complexion.

“You didn’t need to do that. This evening is meant to be a thank you to _you._ ”

“I know. But I wanted to.”

For a moment neither spoke. Then Oswald shook himself back into life.

“Martín? Please take the flowers through so Olga can put them in a vase.”

Martín nodded and carefully took the flowers from Ed before awkwardly half walking, half running towards the kitchen. He himself reached out to accept the chocolates.

“These will be very nice for after dinner,” he commented.

“That’s what I hoped.” Ed’s smile blindsided Oswald again and he wondered just what he was letting himself in for.


	10. Chapter 10

Dinner had passed very pleasantly, mostly thanks to Martín’s presence, and Oswald found himself hesitating now he’d put the boy to bed. He had half expected Edward to make his excuses and leave once he’d announced it was time for Martín to retire but the other man had merely bid the boy goodnight and suggested he’d await Oswald in the lounge.

So here he was, the King of Gotham, willing his heart to quiet before stepping into his own living room.

Edward was settled on the couch, eyes scanning through the chocolate box until he heard the door open. He looked up expectantly.

“Everything alright?”

“Fine. He was exhausted. Fell asleep before I got even half way through the chapter.”

Oswald sat a cautious distance along from Ed but easily within reach of the proffered box. Ed chuckled while Oswald selected a piece.

“Most people would be surprised to learn how domestic you can be.”

“But not you?”

Edward shook his head.

“I know you better than that.”

Silence gathered between them and Oswald tried to pretend it was merely the act of chewing rather than awkwardness holding his tongue.

“I am very grateful for all you’ve done,” he reiterated.

“It was nice to just care for you again,” Ed spoke softly, eyes not looking towards him. “It reminded me of those first days, after I found you in the woods. Except with more feathers this time. And less blood.”

“Less tears and moping too,” Oswald recalled, face softening at the memory. “It seems you’ve always been there when I’ve had no-one else.”

“Not always.” The words fell like a wall between them as memories of betrayals and retribution welled up. Ed sighed heavily.

“Couldn’t we have that back? The being there? The being friends?”

“After all we’ve said and done to each other?” Oswald scoffed softly, his eyes on his knees. “I betrayed you, you shot me, I froze you… I’m not sure how much of that can be forgiven.”

“But surely we don’t have to keep on living that cycle? I’m tired of it. I want things back the way they were. Just you and me again without all the drama. Don’t you want that?”

Oswald was aware of Ed’s gaze on him but couldn’t bring himself to meet it.

“Of course I do Ed.”

“Then what’s to stop us? If we both want it surely we can manage to find ways to deal with the past. It might not be easy and there’ll probably be arguments-”

“Ed,” Oswald stopped his burbling with a gentle hand on his. “You must know… I don’t just want us to be friends. I can’t pretend otherwise.”

Next to him Ed swallowed.

“I know. I… I wasn’t ready then to accept that I could love another man. I was only just coming to terms with who I was. As a murderer, a criminal, as both sides of my personality fused. It was all too much. But it isn’t now.”

Oswald looked up at him, needing to see his face to register the sincerity.

“Do you understand what you’re saying? What you’re implying?”

Ed nodded silently.

“I’m sorry to be so blunt Edward but I want us both to be clear about this. Loving someone doesn’t have to mean anything more than that. It doesn’t have to involve kissing or touching or… anything physical at all.” He forced himself into eye contact. “What exactly do you want out of this?”

For a long moment he didn’t think he’d get a response. Or he thought Ed would brush off the entire conversation. Retreat from him and leave them with another weighty regret. Ed was searching his face, or searching his eyes, though what for Oswald couldn’t tell. If he knew what he wanted though he’d have given it to him. He always would.

“I think… I’d like to know what it’s like to kiss you.”

Oswald’s breath hitched at the reply but he didn’t make any move.

“Are you sure Ed? Are you sure its _me_ you want to kiss? Because I’ll understand if you need to explore this but I can’t be your experiment. I can’t-”

“Oswald.” Ed brought his hand up to cup his face. “Before you I never imagined kissing another man. Since you, I can’t imagine kissing anyone else.”

That was enough.

Oswald leant closer until he felt Ed’s touch pulling him in and then they were a breath apart.

“If this is a trap,” Oswald murmured, eyes glistening with tears of anticipation – for either heartbreak or delirium.

“I swear to you it isn’t,” Ed whispered back before finally pressing their lips together.

It was chaste but desperate and Oswald could feel himself trembling. He knew the tears had broken free despite himself. As he drew back with an almost distraught gasp, he could feel Ed’s long fingers brushing over his cheeks.

“Don’t leave me,” he begged. “Please. Don’t leave me again.”

He knew he must sound pathetic but in that moment he didn’t care. His heart had been broken by this man too many times before. He knew he couldn’t stand it again. Knew it was ridiculous to be risking himself again in this way but it was all too much. The offer of everything he’d ever wanted. He’d do anything for it to be real, even if just for one evening.

“I won’t,” Ed murmured to him, still brushing his fingers against his cheeks but now interspersing the touches with little kisses either side. “I won’t.”

Oswald let out a shuddering breath and buried his face on Ed’s shoulder, wrapping his arms round him as he had once so long ago before all the sorrow and pain. To his relief Ed responded in kind, pulling Oswald closer so he was enveloped in warmth.

For this moment at least, they could forget their troubled past. It was just two people soaking in comfort and affection. And perhaps they could build on this. Learn to let go of the petty rivalries and grievances. The feeling of contentment certainly made a convincing case for making the effort.

“Let’s do this every day,” Ed suggested from somewhere above Oswald’s ear. “Just take five minutes to simply hug. No matter what else is going on.”

Inhaling the familiar scent of him Oswald smiled.

Yes, perhaps they could make a home from these broken fragments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was honoured that notexactreflection over on tumblr created some seriously cute art from this idea. Check it out.
> 
> https://notexactreflection.tumblr.com/post/184577892055/idea-from-esperata-their-awesome-story-only-in


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